Field
Communication systems may benefit from connection setup improvements. For example, fifth generation communication systems may benefit from low latency service connection setup for 5G network terminal in new service areas.
Description of the Related Art
New mobile low-latency and ultra-reliable services may be supported in fifth generation (5G), especially for use cases involving vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), collectively V2X.
FIG. 1 illustrates a reference 5G architecture. As shown in FIG. 1, the architecture can be divided into domains of mobile access, networking service, and application. Each domain can include control plane and user plane aspects. At the leftmost side, there can be internet protocol (IP) and Ethernet (ETH) user to network interfaces (UNIs) over a 5G network terminal (NT) serviced by an access point (AP). The access point can be connected by interface S1*c to a control mobility gateway (cMGW) and by interface S1*u to a user plane gateway (uGW). The cMGW can be connected to a home subscriber server (HSS) via an S6a* interface. The uGW and cMGW can be connected to one another over an Sx interface. Thus, the AP, uGW, cMGW, and HSS can be provided in the mobile access domain.
The HSS can be connected to an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server over an ASIa interface, which can be one example of an access to service interface (ASI). The cMGW can be connected to a control plane service edge (cSE) node over an ASIc interface. Furthermore, the uGW can be connected to a user plane service edge (uSE) node over an ASIu interface. The cSE can be connected by respective interfaces to the AAA server and the uSE. Thus, the uSE, cSE, and AAA server can be provided in the networking service domain.
The AAA server can interface with an application user database. Furthermore, the uSE can interface with an application server. The application server and the application user database can be provided in the application domain.
V2X is an example use case for local services, and traffic control organized in small geographical areas to cover important road intersections is an example of V2X. Each traffic control area, which is an example of a service area, can use a local virtual private (VP) local area network (LAN) service (in short VPL service), can have a local router, and an application server.
FIG. 2 illustrates a traffic control service use case. As shown in FIG. 2, there can be a plurality of traffic control zones, here illustrated as traffic control zone 1 and traffic control zone 2. The traffic control zones may overlap with a plurality of radio cells. Multiple 5G network terminal (5G NT) devices may be present in the zones. 5G network terminals are examples of user equipment that can be used, although other user equipment are permitted. In FIG. 2, 5G NT3 is shown in traffic control zone 2 and 5G NT2 is shown in traffic control zone 1. 5G NT1 is shown in initially in traffic control zone 1, but moving to the border of traffic control zone 1 and traffic control zone 2. In each zone there can be a respective VPL service instance: VPL service instance 1 is shown in traffic control zone 1 and VPL service instance 2 is shown in traffic control zone 2. Each zone may be provided a respective tenant router and traffic control server. The VPL service instances can belong to a mobile network operator, while the tenant routers and traffic controllers can belong to a traffic control application provider.
The term “local service” can refer to a service that is provided by a mobile network in a pre-defined geographic area of typically some hundred meters to some kilometers extension.
Fundamental challenges in supporting local, low latency and mission critical services, as may be needed for V2X applications, include early detection and fast autonomous setup of the service connection once a 5G NT approaches a respective service area. This may include the special case that the 5G NT moves from one service area, service area 1 to another service area, service area 2.
The service may need to be made available to the 5G NT before the service will be used, such as before the vehicle enters a critical street intersection area. On the other hand, it may not be acceptable to connect potential service users too early to the service, as this may require unnecessary network resources by generating dummy load.
A further challenge is that in idle state the location of a 5G NT may only be known with rather coarse granularity, such as with a tracking area list (TAL), which can make a decision for service connection based on this TAL rather imprecise.